Seattle – Washington Technology Center (WTC) awarded $930,000 in June 2002 to university researchers teamed with eleven Washington-based companies through WTC’s Research and Technology Development (RTD) program.

The companies, located in areas across the state, are working with researchers from either Washington State University or the University of Washington.

Caldus Semiconductor, RichlandResearcher: M. Grant Norton, WSU School of Mechanical and Materials EngineeringCaldus Semiconductor develops silicon carbide-based semiconductor packages for high temperature sensors that can be used in harsh environments, such as those found in fuel cells and the catalytic reformer. The recent move of fuel cells into the mainstream of energy generation provides huge opportunities and requirements for the company’s robust sensor technology. They will collaborate with M. Grant Norton and Hussein M. Zbib of WSU to study interface structures formed during processing as well as to develop a model of the package design that will be used as a predictive tool for package performance and to shorten development time. Dr. Norton has extensive experience in the use of electron microscopy for interface characterization. Dr. Zbib’s expertise is in the areas of solid mechanics, plasticity, dislocations and applications to manufacturing processes.

General Dynamics Space Propulsion Systems, RedmondResearcher: Todd A. Anderson, UW Dept. of Aeronautics and AstronauticsGeneral Dynamics Space Propulsion Systems provides on-board propulsion for spacecraft using a range of technologies from conventional chemical engines to advanced electric propulsion systems that accelerate electrically charged plasmas. At the heart of the latest propulsion technology, the Hall thruster, are high performance electromagnets that accelerate ionized xenon gas to speeds up to 20 km/s. The company is teaming with Todd Anderson of the UW to produce innovative, high temperature, compact, lightweight electromagnetic assemblies. Dr. Anderson has expertise in embedded sensors and multifunctional structures and especially materials. The team believes that by combining the right conductor and insulator materials with an unusual coil topology, the mass of these critical assemblies can be cut in half, while providing high reliability in severe thermal, vibration and radiation environments.

GenPrime, SpokaneResearcher: Dong-Hyun Kang, WSU Dept. of Food Sciences and Human NutritionGenPrime specializes in developing microbial measurement kits for product quality management in the beer, dairy, and other food industries. Dong-Hyun Kang of WSU is collaborating with GenPrime to develop a method to test for coliforms, or bacteria that make humans sick, in half the time of current methods for a fraction of the cost. Dr. Kang is a food safety specialist with expertise in detection of food-borne pathogens.

Mimic Technologies, SeattleResearcher: George M. Turkiyyah, UW Dept. of Civil and Environmental EngineeringMimic Technologies is developing computer simulation hardware and software that will allow medical personnel to practice their surgical skills before trying them on people. This new technology provides feedback on internal stress and strain as simulated tissue is manipulated, which allows surgical tasks to be performed and evaluated in real time. Mimic has teamed with George Turkiyyah of the UW and the UW Human Interface Technology (HIT) Laboratory to develop a realistic, real-time suturing simulator. A central feature of this technology is its ability to allow the doctor in training to feel the procedure and see surgical tools interacting with simulated tissue via a new breed of human-computer interaction hardware that brings the sense of touch to the desktop experience. Dr. Turkiyyah is an expert in finite element modeling, scientific computing, and geometric modeling.

Recycled Plastics Marketing, RedmondResearcher: Vipin Kumar, UW Dept. of Mechanical EngineeringOnce thought of as waste, recycled milk and orange juice jugs have found a new use as environmentally-friendly plastic lumber. Recycled Plastics Marketing (RPM) manufactures plastic lumber products in its Tacoma production plant from 100% recycled High-Density Polyethylene plastic, the same material used for many beverage containers. RPM has teamed with Vipin Kumar of the UW to increase its production rate with more efficient heat extraction and a reduction in batch-to-batch variation. Dr. Kumar’s research interests include polymer processing and manufacturing with extensive work in microcellular plastics technology.

Sienna Technologies, WoodinvilleResearcher: Yasuo Kuga, UW Dept. of Electrical EngineeringSienna Technologies manufactures high performance aluminum nitride components for demanding thermal management in electronics and microwave communications applications. Sienna Technologies and Yasuo Kuga of the UW are researching a new family of microwave communications lens materials, Functionally Graded Artificial Dielectrics (FGAD) materials and meta-materials. FGADs allow microwave lenses to be much smaller and lighter than traditional lenses by bending microwave energy throughout the entire lens, rather than just at the lens surface like traditional lenses. Dr. Kuga will analytically and numerically model FGAD materials using his expertise in electromagnetics. Sienna Technologies will then fabricate FGAD samples as modeled for evaluation and testing. Dr. Kuga has expertise in electromagnetics and remote sensing.

Sonus Pharmaceuticals, BothellResearcher: Jin-Gang Zhang, WSU Dept. of Pharmaceutical SciencesSonus Pharmaceuticals develops therapeutic drugs using its drug delivery technology platform, which features a vitamin E-based oil-in-water emulsion to promote the solubility of lipophilic (fat-soluble, non-water soluble) drugs that require novel drug delivery formulations for effective delivery into the body. Encapsulating injectable cancer killing drugs in a vitamin E emulsion may lower the toxicity of the formulation, which could lead to a product that can be administered more easily to patients with fewer side effects and better efficacy. Dr. Marc Fariss of WSU has discovered a class of vitamin E derivatives that have the ability to selectively kill human tumor cells while protecting normal tissue. This project teams Drs. Fariss and Zhang of WSU with Sonus to investigate the ability of Sonus’s platform as well as its vitamin E components to selectively enhance the antitumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents. Dr. Zhang has expertise in the mechanisms of vitamin E derivative-mediated cytoprotection and antitumor activity.

Syntrix Biosystems, RedmondResearcher: William M. Atkins, UW Dept. of Medicinal ChemistrySyntrix Biosystems has developed a microchip platform for drug discovery that avoids the coding and decoding constraints of other chips. Syntrix is collaborating with William Atkins of UW to validate the ability of Syntrix’s Combi-Chip™ to screen and identify drug candidates. The project aims to use the microchip platform to identify promising cancer therapeutics by allowing large combinatorial libraries to be synthesized and screened. Dr. Atkins is an expert in the enzymology of glutathione-S-transferases, the promising cancer therapeutic targets that are the focus of the project.

Systematix Controls, TukwilaResearcher: Richard R. Gustafson, UW College of Forest ResourcesSystematix Controls manufactures pulp and paper process control systems. The company is collaborating with Richard Gustafson, UW professor of Paper Science and Engineering, to further develop an optical sensor for measuring lignin content of individual wood fibers. Lignin is the natural glue that holds cellulose fibers together in wood and must be removed when making paper and pulp products. The sensor, originally developed with support from UW’s Center for Process Analytical Chemistry, the U.S. Dept. of Energy, and pulp and paper companies, will allow paper and pulp mills to produce a more uniform product. Dr. Gustafson’s expertise is in the area sensors and control of pulp and paper systems, recently focusing on single fiber analysis techniques.

VisionGate, Gig HarborResearcher: Eric J. Seibel, UW Human Interface Technology LabVisionGate is developing a new high throughput cell analysis platform that automatically performs 3-dimensional analysis of biological cells. VisionGate has teamed with Eric Seibel of UW to further develop this new technology capable of screening for early detection of lung cancer. The technology uses Flow Optical Tomography (FOT) to take a series of snapshots of cells and recombine them as a 3-dimensional image showing subtle changes in the cells that may be associated with cancer. The project aims to develop an optical bench prototype and assess the photonics issues leading to clearly focused images with adequate brightness. Dr. Seibel, a bioengineer, has expertise in custom fiberoptic point sources and integration into medical imaging systems.